G

overnor Anies Baswedan indeed has to fulfill his promises to the urban poor who voted for him in the election last year, but resurrecting becak (pedicab) from its grave is by no means a decent form of payback. Instead, his plan to revive the three-wheeled, human-powered vehicle after a 30-year ban will unnecessarily create new problems.

Becak are already part of the history of the capital, which is struggling to catch up with other metropolitan cities in providing a better place to live. It will require not only Herculean efforts to develop a livable city for all, but also forward, rather than backward, looking design of urban policies.

Perhaps the return of becak could give Anies and his deputy Sandiaga Uno a quick win in their bid to create jobs. But do Jakartans really need becak while other modes of transportation are available anytime and anywhere at a reasonable price? With low demand, becak drivers will fall into the rank of the unemployed and therefore remain in poverty.

Jakarta authorities have since the late 1960s excluded becak from the masterplan of the city’s transportation system. Gradually, the capital phased out the vehicle, with then governor Ali Sadikin banning the production and entry of new becak in 1970. The City Council passed a total ban on becak in 1988 and until today the prohibition is still in place. Then governor Sutiyoso partially lifted the ban to help the city government mitigate the impact of the Asian financial crisis in 1998, but the policy only lasted for less than a week.

As controversy loomed, Sandiaga said the operation of the pedicabs would be restricted to housing complexes and their drivers would undergo training beforehand. Later on, he proposed that the pedicabs be equipped with electric motors.

Actually, the city managers of the past shared the same vision about becak even when the transportation system was not as advanced as it is today. They had anticipated the disorderliness of Jakarta’s traffic if becak had to compete with motorized and fast moving vehicles. It is the concern about aggravating traffic chaos following the return of becak that has prompted the Jakarta Police to object to Governor Anies’ plan.

Apart from the traffic problem, the issue of becak itself has already incentivized the urbanization of unskilled workers that will add to the city’s burden. Dozens of becak drivers from West Java have streamed into Jakarta since Anies announced the pro-poor policy. Deputy Governor Sandiaga suspects the becak drivers were mobilized for certain political purposes, although such conclusion goes too far because it was the city government that offered the candy in the first place.

Now, an extra job for the Jakarta Public Order Agency is to turn back becak drivers who hope to fulfil their Jakarta dream.

The fact that the city’s policymakers remain divided over becak only shows the absence of a thorough deliberation, let alone analysis. But even if they conduct a study, public scrutiny is imperative as the policy will eventually affect the people.